The Ruff House Stay & Play

When you take the family to Gum Tree Farm, they will experience a unique adventure that involves plenty of wildlife and a good amount of learning, too! The farm produces purebred and commercial sheep and is also the home of several chickens, horses, ducks, donkeys, cows, goats and rabbits, among many others. The farm also produces fiber and exhibits samples of fiber plants. Workers on the farm frequently demonstrate the process of dyeing wool which the kids will surely enjoy. Also, the abundant wildlife in the surrounding area of the farm is protected from hunters, so don't be surprised to see hawks, quail, rabbits, deer and gray foxes during your visit.

Man's best friend needs some quality time outdoors, too, so if your pooch is begging for a little outdoor fun, make your way to the Chesapeake Dog Park. This dog park is located near the Western Branch Community Center and offers such amenities as covered picnic tables and benches. The facility is an off-leash park that offers plenty of open spaces for your dog to play, and the fenced area features even more benches as well as a water fountain.

It is not often when you get the chance to not only revisit history, but to also walk along its path. You get to have that experience in a truly dramatic way when you visit the Virginia Civil War Trails that begin with the Village of the Great Bridge, which is located at the crossing of the Albemarle and Chesapeake canals. Other stops along the way inclusde Village of Deep Creek, Glencoe, Pleasant Grove Baptist Cemetery and Cuffeytown 13.